The Story of Ilenya Lestrange
by KissTomorrowGoodbye
Summary: An OC, multi-chapter account of the life of Ilenya Lestrange, daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange. R/R please. On hold for now.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

**Hi everybody! It's my first fanfiction on this account! Just a bit of random introduction to my character... if you hate all OC stuff or OC as main character, you may want to consider not reading this, sorry. Really it's just what Bellatrix's daughter (if she had one) would want to say to the world.**

**Enjoy... please review.**

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><p>Maybe when you hear the name Bellatrix Lestrange you don't immediately flinch or shiver. Maybe you don't think of the infamous gang known as the Death Eaters, the most faithful followers of the Dark Lord, He-who-must-not-be-named, You-Know-Who... whatever you call him. Maybe, just maybe, you don't automatically switch to a defensive mode, ready to protect yourself and those you love from the evil threats that just a name can conjure up.<p>

If you do not do any of this, you are part of a minority.

Now, imagine, just for a moment, that you _were_ Bellatrix Lestrange. Imagine that every time you walked down the street, those who didn't follow Voldemort shrank away from you. Imagine that mothers, upon recognizing your face from the wanted posters torn down by the Death Eaters, moved their children away, placing themselves protectively between you and their offspring.

Mind you, if you were Bellatrix, you might actually enjoy that. You might revel in the fear you caused, knowing that it was all for your precious Dark Lord, and that now that the world was where it belonged, in pure-blood hands, you were finally free and rewarded for your faithfulness for all those years when all but His most faithful followers deserted Him.

Now that you've imagined that, hang on for another minute or two and humor me by imagining something else.

Suppose you were Bellatrix's daughter.

Suppose that you had to avoid saying your last name out loud when introducing yourself to others so they didn't flinch, then try to cover it up awkwardly, then eventually excuse themselves, practically running away from you. Suppose you had to live with hiding from others because you were so scared of them finding out the truth about your family. Imagine that whenever someone you let in over your walls found out, they hurt you and ran, because they just couldn't see beyond the name to the person.

So then, wouldn't you have no choice but to hide? Wouldn't you have no choice but to run and run and run away from anyone that you could ever love because once they got too close you couldn't stop them from hurting you? Wouldn't you have to build those walls taller and taller, not even opening up a tiny bit because you were so scared?

This is my story.

This is my life.

Mind you, this is hardly as though I have no friends. That would just be unrealistic. And I have no intentions of being unrealistic while telling this story. I do have a friend, a best friend. She's my cousin, in fact. But more about that later...

I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to turn into a pity-fest. Really this chapter was just meant to be a quick introduction to who I am. I hope that you will actually read the rest of my story.

If you do continue reading, here's what I want you to do: remember that you should never judge someone based solely on what you've been told about them, or how you've been taught to view them. People are almost never what you expect them to be.

Hatred, especially unjustified hatred, has no place in an enlightened world.

This reaches beyond my story, though I've certainly faced my share of hatred as the daughter of a Death Eater. Next time you walk down the street, consider changing how you view the world. Maybe you won't flinch when you hear one of _those names._ Maybe you'll show some kindness for someone, anyone at all.

I hope hearing my story makes you more accepting of everyone and their differences.

You never know whose life you can change with a simple act of kindness.

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><p><strong>Eh...<strong>

**I dunno.**

**I was considering not posting this but I figured I'd just put it out there. I feel like it's kinda stupid... maybe if I post Chapter 2 really quickly people will keep reading this...**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love getting reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2: Birth

**Here's Chapter 2~~~**

**Now we move on to the actual story. I may have messed with a few of the actual, canon details of when things happened, just to get my story to work... sorry. Please review!**

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><p>The first thing I remember is the sunlight.<p>

It's a hazy memory, true, but the impression of golden warmth and love has always stayed with me. It's what's kept me going through a lot. I was maybe one years old, lying in a crib or whatever I was in... the specifics escape me, but I do remember my mother as she leaned over me, long black hair falling into my face.

That was back when she was actually at home, actually with me, and actually happy. Before the day she changed into what she is now.

So, back to the sunlight: it was streaming through the diamond-paned windows in our living room, lighting Bellatrix- my mother- from the back, making a halo around her head. It was also warm, since the sun tends to do that, and in general it was hardly even the most remarkable day. There is no tangible reason that this is one of my most treasured and earliest memories.

Nothing except the fact that I will never have that world again.

When I was younger, I thought that all I would ever need was what I had: a loving mother and loving father (sure, they may not have really loved _each other_ but all I needed was for them to love _me_), and a generally perfect life. It wasn't until all that disappeared that I truly realized how much I needed to return to that childish innocence.

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><p>My name is Ilenya Lestrange. My mother is Bellatrix Lestrange. This is my story.<p>

My story, such as it is, starts on a June day fifteen years ago.

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><p>"Bellatrix-"<p>

"I do not _need_ your assistance, Rudolphus. You may as well leave now." Bellatrix glared at her husband, but the menacing effect was rather diminished when a contraction racked her body, making her wince. "Go away."

"If you want me to..." The dark-haired man sighed and turned, hands in his pockets.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to St. Mungo's?" Narcissa asked, leaning over her sister with a concerned expression on her face as her brother-in-law left the room. Bellatrix shook her head.

"No. I won't go there. I don't need to go there, and I won't have my first child born in a hospital alongside half-bloods and other such filth."

"Well, if you insist, I suppose..." Narcissa was pregnant herself, but she wasn't due for another month or so. Still, it was rather strange that she was helping deliver a baby when she was visibly pregnant.

"I do wonder if it's a girl or a boy, though," Bellatrix mused.

"There's a spell-"

"I don't _want_ a spell. I want a surprise. Is that such an impssible thing to ask for?" Bellatrix glared at her.

Narcissa did not react to her sisters curt and dismissive manner towards her. She was used to it, after all, and today of all days Bellatrix had a right to act as she wanted.

"Ah, Cissy," Bellatrix sat up straight in bed. "I think-"

"Oh, no it's coming! What am I supposed to do?" Narcissa gasped, a panicked expression crossing her face.

Bellatrix sighed. _Maybe I should have had Rudolphus stay and help instead._

"Calm down, Bella," Narcissa said. Bellatrix wanted to comment on the fact that it hardly seemed as though _she _was the one who needed to calm down, but was cut off by another contraction. They were getting more and more frequent, the time between each decreasing rapidly. She had to fight the urge to cry out, reminding herself that she had sufffered much worse.

"Come on, push, Bella," Narcissa urged.

_Dammit, I'm pushing as hard as I can... _Bellatrix gave in, a moan of pain escaping her lips. "Cissy..."

"You can do this. Come on, Bella."

_This hurts... this _really _hurts... please let it stop, please... _She whimpered, hands clenching around a handful of sheets, twisting them. Her forehead beaded with sweat as her body was racked by yet another contraction, and all she could do was pray that it was over soon.

"I can see the head! Bella, you're doing a great job, you just have to keep pushing."

_I'm so tired..._ Bellatrix let her head fall against the pillows. "I... I can't do this," she whispered.

"Yes, you can." An unfamiliar light was in Narcissa's blue eyes. She glared at her sister, determination written all over her face. "You've gotten this far. You are not going to give up now. One more time, push!"

_One more time, then. _Bellatrix arched her back, screaming, as she struggled to push her baby out. A small, dark-haired bundle slid into Narcissa's waiting hands, and suddenly it was all over.

"A girl, Bella!" Narcissa smiled, wiping her forehead. "It's a girl!"

"Ah..." Bellatrix slumped against the pillows, panting. She glanced at the clock. It had only been two hours, but it had felt like forever. "Let me hold her," she commanded.

Narcissa slipped the baby into her waiting arms. It was a girl, all right. Right now her skin was pink, but it would no doubt fade to the paler tint that almost all pure-bloods had, and already she had a great deal of hair on her head.

"What will you name her?" Narcissa asked, hovering at the foot of the bed. Bellatrix looked up, noting that her little sister was covered in sweat and blood- _her_ blood, she realized. The sheets were also bloodstained, and the formerly white cloth draped over the chair was now spattered with bright red.

"Ilenya. Ilenya Bellatrix Lestrange." She smiled, feeling the weight of the words in her mouth. She looked down at the baby... her _daughter_, with an expression of surprised wonder.

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><p>And thus begins the story of Ilenya Lestrange.<p>

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><p><strong>Ehehe, what do you think? Is it complete crap? Please review, I welcome criticism! Chapter 3 should be up soon.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: The First Year

**Chapter 3 is here! Yay! **

**So, as the second chapter was Ilenya's birth, it is only logical that this should be an account of her first year. I had to mess with the timeline so that Bellatrix didn't start actually searching for Voldemort until Ilenya was three, and didn't actually go to Azkaban until Ilenya was six. But more of that later...**

**I also gave Draco a twin sister. Her name is Alyssa. She's my friend's character, and her story will be told soon (I think) by Alyssa Narcissa Malfoy (look her up, she's on this site!)**

**Enjoy! Review!**

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><p>My first three years were my best, not that I remember much of them. Of course, not many people even remember before their fifth or sixth year, so the very fact that I recall details from before that could be considered strange.<p>

Of course, not everyone has had such an... _interesting_ childhood as I had.

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><p><strong>Eight weeks: Baby's first smile<strong>

"Who's my little sweetykins? Who?"

"..."

Rudolphus Lestrange leaned over the cradle, smiling despite the distinct lack of response from within. "So I suppose you're a strong and silent type, eh?"

"..."

Bellatrix looked up from her book. "She's hardly made a noise for the past five hours. But trust me, when she needs you for something she'll let you know. My god, she can be loud."

"She's an outspoken young lady. Just like her mother."

No response.

The baby suddenly stirred, chubby legs kicking feebly. Her pink lips parted, a wail beginning to build. Bellatrix shuddered, covering her ears.

"Can you handle it this time?" she asked. "She's probably hungry."

"In which case it might be rather hard for me to help," Rudolphus noted, looking pointedly at Bellatrix, specifically the baby-feeding part of her. She glared at him.

"There's a bottle in the fridge, you know."

"But it would be so much more amusing to watch _you_ feed her~"

A single, threatening look from her sent him scurrying down the stairs.

Bellatrix sighed. _He can be persistent. But surely even he has realized that I can never feel for him that way..._

This was actually true. Despite the fact that they were married, Bellatrix and Rudolphus had always slept in separate rooms until his mother had started pressuring them for a grandchild. And even then, as soon as Bellatrix found out that she was pregnant, they had gone back to their previous sleeping arrangements, despite his mother's obvious disapproval.

Bellatrix knew that the old hag would have preferred a boy, to carry on the Lestrange name, so despite the fact that she had secretly wanted the same, it gave her a twisted pleasure to disappoint her mother-in-law by having a girl.

Even though her husband and child were two flights of stairs down, she could hear Ilenya's screams and Rudolphus's wheedling. It was strange, seeing her husband being so gentle to this child, the man who, at the Death Eater meetings, sat in the corner hanging on the Dark Lord's every word, following his every order. The man who had killed countless times on those very orders.

How odd, that a child could change that. And how odd, that she had never seen this side of her husband.

He came back in, holding a quiet Ilenya. "She drank that whole bottle in about ten seconds flat. Crazy, huh?"

"Mm..." she replied, once again apparently immersed in her book.

Rudolphus set the baby down in the crib. "Aw, who's Daddy's little girl, huh? Huh?" he said, tickling his daughter's tiny feet. Bellatrix rolled her eyes.

"Tone down the baby talk, please. I'm getting a headache."

Rudolphus ignored her. "Ah, Mommy just doesn't understand, does she? You're so cute, aren't you?"

_I swear, if he keeps this up I will throw this book at him. _"Rudolphus-"

"Bellatrix, come over here!" His tone wasn't alarmed, so it probably wasn't an emergency. Bellatrix debated for a moment as to whether or not to get up and go over there. In the end, he would make her go anyways, so to avoid an argument she stood up.

"What?"

"Ilenya's smiling!"

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><p><strong>Ten to Eighteen months: Baby's first steps<strong>

It had been nearly a year since she had given birth, but Bellatrix still didn't feel that Ilenya had done much to improve her life.

All the midnight feedings, all the hours of dealing with the piercing screams of a baby with a fresh diaper, full stomach, and nothing to complain about... what had it really done for her? Besides half-deafen her, of course...

And then there was the whole Rudolphus thing. Her husband insisted on making a fool of himself for the baby, making faces and cooing at her until Bellatrix wanted to rip his face off. It didn't even seem like Ilenya needed her, because her husband was the only one that ever made the kid smile.

"Something wrong?" Narcissa asked. She and her children- she had given birth to twins, Draco and Alyssa, a month after Ilenya was born- had come to visit while Rudolphus was out on a mission for the Dark Lord.

"No, nothing's wrong." Bellatrix lifted her cup to take a sip of tea and realized that it was empty. "Want some more?" she asked as she got up to refill her cup.

"No thanks."

Bellatrix had to carefully navigate her way across the living room, around the toys strewn across the floor and the three babies. It would probably be bad if she stepped on her daughter or one of her sister's kids.

Alyssa hit her twin brother over the head with a pink plastic elephant. Narcissa sighed, annoyed. "Stop that, Alyssa!" She picked Draco up, cuddling the small blonde boy.

It was obvious, to Bellatrix, at least, that her sister liked Draco far better than she liked Alyssa. It was probably better that she herself only had one kid, otherwise she would no doubt be playing favorites as well.

She re-entered the living room, holding a steaming mug of tea in one hand and a bottle in the other. "Lunchtime, Ilenya..."

To her considerable surprise, the little girl pulled herself up using the coffee table and took a hesitant step towards her.

"Did you see that, Bella? She walked!" Narcissa seemed so proud you would have thought that it was her kid who had taken her first step, not her niece.

Bellatrix looked at her daughter, wide-eyed. Ilenya looked up at her mother, reaching out with a trusting smile on her face before losing her balance and pitching forwards. Bellatrix caught her, still completely shocked.

_Well, I suppose you're worth it... maybe..._ she thought, looking down at her daughter's open, innocent face. _And I guess you need me, in the end. Because who's going to catch you the next time you fall?_

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><p><strong>Nine to twelve months: Baby's first words<strong>

"Can you say 'mama'?"

"..."

"C'mon, sweetie, you can do it! Don't you think that'd be a great birthday present for your mommy?"

"..."

"What are you doing?"

Rudolphus whirled around. "N-nothing..."

Bellatrix stepped into the room, looking at her husband suspiciously. "Why are you hovering over Ilenya again? I swear, all you do when you're here is play peek-a-boo with her and baby-talk at her."

"It wouldn't kill you to send more time with her, you know." Rudolphus crossed his arms.

"What do you mean?"

"I bet she's lonely when I'm at work."

"I spend time with her!" Bellatrix said indignantly. "I think you just smother her with affection because you feel guilty for abandoning us at home to go 'work'!" You could practically hear the quotes around that word. Rudolphus bristled at that,

"I'm supporting our family!" Rudolpus snapped, stepping closer to Bellatrix. She didn't even flinch as he towered over her, but her hand did close around her wand handle.

"_Are_ you, then? And why would you _have_ to, since we can comfortably live for several _centuries_ on the money from our families?"

"I can do whatever I want-"

"Obviously. Don't pretend I don't know where you really are when you say you're 'working'."

"Wh-what do you mean?" He looked flustered now, and slightly guilty. Bellatrix drew herself up proudly.

"I know that you spend quite a bit of time at a certain young lady's house... Alecto Carrow, no?" At that time, the Death Eater was actually rather attractive, though in later years she did tend towards a certain... squatness.

"And what the hell did you expect, Bellatrix?" Rudolphus exploded. "Dammit, you don't even sleep with me anymore! A man has _needs,_ you know. And how can you act so high and mighty when I know you've been screwing around behind my back yourself!"

"You dare-"

"Yes, I'll just come out and say it. I know that the Dark Lord has been coming over almost every single day, and-"

"He can do whatever He wants, you idiot. He is the _Dark Lord_, and we've both sworn utter loyalty to Him." She turned as if to leave, obviously thinking that this fact would serve to end this argument.

"How convenient," he spat scornfully.

Bellatrix whipped out her wand. "I'm going to-"

"What, _kill_ me? And make the Dark Lord lose a follower? He might not be very happy with that..."

She growled. "Just because you don't receive the Dark Lord's deepest trust-"

"Trust me, I have no wish to fulfill the Dark Lord's desires as you do. And I doubt He would want me to, anyways."

"It makes me sick that you would mock Him like this. No wonder He trusts me so much more."

They were now practically nose-to-nose, both of them with their wands trained on each other. Ilenya chose this moment to open her eyes and sit up in bed.

"Mama?"

"Holy crap, did she just-"

"My little Ilenya just said her first word! I'm so proud!"

"..."

"..."

"What, can't a father be proud of this? It's a major milestone in the life of an infant and..."

_I notice that she said my name first, _Bellatrix thought. _Not his._ It gave her a strange feeling of pride. She did, however, restrain herself from pointing this out to her husband. After all, it wouldn't be good parenting to argue in front of their child.

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><p>Thus ends my first year. THough technically there are a few more months I haven't told you about, nothing important happened in that spring... and then, it was June 9th again and my first birthday was here!<p>

See you in the next chapter.

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><p><strong>Ahaha, hope you liked it... not very interesting so far, but it will be. I promise!<strong>

**Review or die.**

**Chapter 4 will be up soon. I hope.**


	4. Chapter 4: Happy Birthday, Ilenya

**And now I present to you... CHAPTER FOUR! So sorry I haven't updated in so long.**

**Ilenya Lestrange is now one years old. Enjoy! And seriously, if you read it, review it. ****Please.**

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><p>"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."<p>

A giant chocolate cake was set down in the middle of the table, a single tall candle stuck right in the center. The birthday girl stared at it, candlelight reflecting off her serious face.

"Happy birthday dear Ilenya, happy birthday to you!"

"Blow the candle out, sweetie!" Rudolphus urged. His daughter looked up at him, curious.

"Like this-" Bellatrix leaned over to demonstrate, blowing on the candle. The flame flickered but didn't go out. "Try that."

"Pfff..." Ilenya blew softly, looking up at her parents for approval.

The candle went out, smoke curling up from the wick. "Good job, 'Lena!" Rudolphus cheered. Bellatrix rolled her eyes at the cutsy nickname her husband insisted on using, but didn't comment out loud.

"Want to open your presents now?" she asked, pushing a package wrapped in glittery pink paper across the dark, varnished wood of the tabletop. Ilenya grabbed it, eagerly ripping it off. The paper fell to the floor as she lifted a box of chocolates out.

"Yummy chocolates, 'Lena!"

"..."

Privately, Bellatrix thought that her daughter was just as disgusted with how Rudolphus acted around her. Not that the little girl talked enough for her to get a response to that kind of question. Ilenya was a strangely quiet girl, quite unlike either of her parents.

A knock at the door made her look up. "I bet that's Cissy and her family. Rudolphus-"

"Yes?"

"Never mind." Bellatrix wanted to tell the idiot to put the baby-talk on hold for just a few hours, but decided that the argument that would certainly follow might make a bad impression on her sister. Besides, it was Ilenya's birthday, so they might as well pretend to be a happy, normal family. She stood up and went to the door, kicking a toy broom out of the way as she flicked her wand at the door, undoing the many locks that kept it firmly shut.

"Bella!" Narcissa said, grinning, as the door swung open. "How are you?"

"Fine. Come on in." She held the door open, looking curiously at her sister's husband. She recognized him from the wedding, of course, as well as various Death Eater meetings and missions, but Lucius Malfoy was not someone she had ever spent much time with. "Would you like something to drink? Tea, perhaps?"

"Tea would be fine. Earl Grey, please," Narcissa said. "Do you want anything, Lucius?"

"No, thank you." The tall blonde man was holding two baby carriers, one in each hand, and he was looking around awkwardly as if searching for a spot to put them down. Bellatrix decided to watch him struggle, since it was rather amusing.

"Hey, I brought a present, Bella. What d'you want me to do with it?"

"Put it on the table," she called back, turning her back on her brother-in-law and heading back into the living room. From behind her, she heard a thump and a muffled curse as Lucius tripped over something, probably one of Ilenya's toys.

"Lucius?" Narcissa said, appearing in the doorway. "Bring Draco over here. I want him to meet his cousin."

"And Alyssa, I presume. You have two children, Narcissa. Or had you forgotten?"

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at Lucius' tone of voice. It seemed that the girl had someone on her side after all, to make up for Narcissa's blatant favoritism. As the two blondes glared at each other, Bellatrix realized that what was true of her own marriage might be true of her sister's as well: purebloods married to keep the bloodline safe. Love almost never was a factor in that decision.

The increasingly awkward conversation was brought to a halt by Rudolphus, who stuck his head through the door. "Anyone want cake? We've got plenty~"

"Sure." Lucius took Alyssa out of her baby carrier and set her down next to Ilenya, who glanced at her cousin with momentary curiosity before turning back to her cake.

About an hour later, the adults had cracked open a bottle of the Black family's finest wine- a wedding present from Bellatrix's mother. The conversation was much more relaxed, and no one paid much attention to the babies. Not that the three of them were doing much harm- Ilenya and Alyssa were able to walk, yes, but Draco had proved to be a slightly slower learner and could still only just barely crawl.

The girls seemed to be getting on rather well, though, happily sharing toys and cake. Bellatrix found herself wondering if she and her younger sisters had ever played that well together.

"Hey, did you hear about what Snape told the Dark Lord?" Lucius suddenly asked, taking a sip from his wineglass.

"No," Rudolphus said at the same instant that Bellatrix said, "Yes."

They glanced at each other for a few seconds, then Rudolphus turned to his brother-in-law and asked,

"So, what did he say?"

"Apparently Severus overheard some kind of prophecy and now the Dark Lord has to kill this baby... you know the Potters?"

"Yes. Their son? What's his name... Harry, right?"

"Yeah. Strange, huh? I mean, what kind of threat could a baby prove to the greatest Dark wizard of all time?" Lucius shrugged, throwing back his head and finishing off the red wine in his glass. "Narcissa, could you get me more wine?"

"Of course." The blonde woman stood and went to the kitchen, followed by her sister. Bellatrix leaned against the table as Narcissa got a bottle of wine out- from a cupboard that might have belonged to her sister, but that she knew as well as the ones in her own home. Both sisters were at each other's houses so often that both Malfoy Manor and the Lestrange house were home to both of them.

"How are you, Bella?"

"Fine." Narcissa was the only one- besides the Dark Lord, of course- that she allowed to call her by that pet name. From anyone else's lips- including Rudolphus'- it seemed like a demeaning, patronizing nickname.

"Really?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

Her sister shrugged. "Babies are stressful, right?"

"Sure..."

"Plus, Lucius says that Rudolphus hasn't been coming home much anymore. He keeps on staying in bars and drinking until one or two in the morning."

Though she did wonder what Lucius was doing at one or two in the morning that he would know about Rudolphus' antics, Bellatrix felt a sudden surge of annoyance at her sister's nosy meddling. "And if he is? What makes you think that's your business, Cissy?"

Narcissa raised her hands, backing off. "All right, all right. Forget I asked."

Bellatrix felt a soft tug on her shirt. Looking down, her eyes met Ilenya's dark grey ones.

"I want more cake."

Ah, that was Ilenya for you. To-the-point and completely sure of what she wanted. Then again, that was typical of most one year olds. So maybe Bellatrix was reading too much into her daughter.

"Go ask your father."

"I told her to ask you," Rudolphus called from the other room.

"Fine." As she opened the drawer, searching for a knife, she caught Narcissa's amused expression. She followed her sister's gaze to see Ilenya reaching across the smooth marble top of the kitchen table towards her wand, fascination written all over her chubby little face.

"Someone's going to be a witch one day," Narcissa remarked.

"Not that we expected anything else," her sister replied, slicing a piece of cake and setting it on a plate. She shoved it towards her daughter. "There's your cake."

Ilenya grabbed it and stuffed it into her mouth, a rare smile breaking across her face through the chocolate frosting. It was a perfect family scene, right there- Bellatrix leaning over her, a wet cloth in her hand ready to wipe the sugary stickyness off her daughter's face, the child beaming up at her like her mother was the only thing that mattered in the world.

Within four months, scenes like this would be a distant memory.

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><p><strong>I'll try to update sooner this time, okay? Review please.<strong>


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